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Synopsis

This unit will provide students with insights into the role of emerging economies in a globalising world. Using a political economy approach, the unit will provide a comparative perspective on Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa also known as the BRICS. Over the past ten years the geo-political and economic importance of the BRICS has been increasing. While they have been advocating for a stronger voice in major international institutions such as the WTO, the World Bank and the IMF, the BRICS do not have a common identity and their influence and power at the global level is uneven. This unit covers the history of the BRICS as well as the political, economic, security and foreign policy trends in these countries. It provides different perspectives on the power of the BRICS in an international context and focuses on the challenges they face. Particular attention is given to the thematic areas of international trade, international finance, the environment, global health and food security.

Outcomes

The learning goals associated with this unit are to:

explain the different theoretical perspectives on the rise of the BRICS

explain the history of the BRICS covering domestic and foreign policy perspectives

critically evaluate the influence of the BRICS in a globalising world.

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 100%

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.